Could there be a bird-friendly alternative to region’s corella woes?

Possible solution: Torben Rusz with the Eco Bird Scarer, which is used in Europe to keep birds away from sporting grounds, orchards and car yards. Picture: Christine Ansorge

As south-west councils grapple with how to deter corellas from sporting grounds and trees, a possible eco-friendly solution was flying around at this week’s Sungold Field Days.

The Eco Bird Scarer was a prominent addition to the field days site, with kites in the shape of predatory birds soaring metres above the ground on long poles.

Torben Rusz, originally from Denmark, has brought the idea out from Europe, where it’s commonly used to keep birds away from certain areas. The business’ Ramute Stepan said just the slightest breeze got the kites moving.

“It’s that movement that they hate. They know the hawk is a predator and they see it and they’ll just disappear,” she said. “A lot of people buy those stationary statues, two days later the birds are laughing at you.

“The noise (deterrents) don’t work because the birds get used to the noise.

“We’ve noticed, especially out here, that there’s a lot of bird problems.”

Depending on the length of the poles, Ms Stepan said the kites could cover almost an acre.

“They can scare birds away from fruit trees, vineyards, even bowling clubs and sporting clubs with the grasses, and even car yards,” Ms Stepan said.